We had reached the fence of the Big Woods. He lifted me to the top
rail and explained, while I combed his waving hair with my fingers.

"She didn't strike you because what you said was not so, for it was.
She knew instantly you were right, if she knows anything at all about
outdoors. This is what made her angry: it is her first day. She
wanted to make a good impression on her pupils, to arouse their
interest, and awaken their respect. When you spoke, all of them knew
you were right, and she was wrong; that made her ridiculous. Can't you
see how it made her look and feel?"

"I didn't notice how she looked, but from the way she hit me, you could
tell she felt bad enough."

"She surely did," said Laddie, kissing my cheek softly. "Poor little
woman! What a world of things you have to learn!"

"Shouldn't I have told her how mistaken she was?"

"If you had gone to her alone, at recess or noon, or to-night, probably
she would have thanked you. Then she could have corrected herself at
some convenient time and kept her dignity."

"Must I ask her pardon?"

"What you should do, is to put yourself in Miss Amelia's place and try
to understand how she felt. Then if you think you wouldn't have liked
any one to do to you what you did to her, you'll know."

I hugged Laddie tight and thought fast--there was no need to think long
to see how it was.

"I got to tell her I was wrong," I said. "Now let's go to the
Enchanted Wood and see if we can find the Queen's daughter."

"All right!" said Laddie.

He leaped the fence, swung me over, and started toward the pawpaw
thicket. He didn't do much going around. He crashed through and over;
and soon he began whistling the loveliest little dancy tune. It made
your head whirl, and your toes tingle, and you knew it was singing that
way in his heart, and he was just letting out the music. That was why
it made you want to dance and whirl; it was so alive. But that wasn't
the way in an Enchanted Wood. I pulled his hand.

"Laddie!" I cautioned, "keep in the path! You'll step on the Fairies
and crush a whole band with one foot. No wonder the Queen makes her
daughter grow big when she sends her to you. If you make so much
noise, some one will hear you, then this won't be a secret any more."

Laddie laughed, but he stepped carefully in the path after that, and he
said: "There are times, Little Sister, when I don't care whether this
secret is secret another minute or not.